Road sweeper hydraulic broom drive and mounting

ABSTRACT

A road sweeper pickup broom is suspended by a parallel linkage supporting a broom driving hydraulic motor having a broom drive rotor and a housing fixed to a support component of the linkage.

United States Patent Woodworth [54] ROAD SWEEPER HYDRAULIC BROOM DRIVEAND MOUNTING [72] Inventor: Rodney L. Woodworth, Claremont, Calif.

[73] Assignee: Wayne Manufacturing Company, Pomona,

Calif.

[22] Filed: Dec. 10, 1969 [21] Appl. No.: 883,768

[52] U.S. CI ..15/84 [51] Int. Cl ...E01h 1/04 [58] Field 0! Searchl5/82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 15/340, 55

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS l,069,773 8/l9 l3 0mm; rs340x 51 Jan. 25, 1972 Burgdorff 15/84 3,113,332 12/1963 Kasper ..l5/83 XFOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 620,540 5/1961 Italy ..i5/85 PrimaryExaminerEdward L. Roberts Attorney-White & Haefliger 57 ABSTRACT A roadsweeper pickup broom is suspended by a parallel linkage supporting abroom driving hydraulic motor having a broom drive rotor and a housingfixed to a support component of the linkage.

6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEUmzsmz 3336580 SHEET 2 OF 2 IN vavraeRam/5V1 WEaowaen/ ROAD SWEEPER HYDRAULIC BROOM DRIVE AND MOUNTINGBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventionally, vehicle-mounted cylindricalroad sweeper brooms have been connected to a pulling vehicle by a singlepair of trailing arms pivoted to the vehicle frame to permit bodilydisplacement of the broom in response to sweeping and road conditions.As so mounted, the broom has been chain driven by an engine carried bythe vehicle.

Using this same type of single pair broom pulling arms, it has beenproposed to rotatively drive the broom by a motor carried by one of thearms concentrically with the broom axis, either inside or outside thebroom core and with the motor stator or housing connected to the arm. 7

It is with improvements in arm-mounted motor broom drives that thepresent invention is concerned.

Among several factors which govern proper sweeping action of the broomare motor torque reaction influences and ground reaction to the broomand its sweep. Using single-arm mountings for the motor, it is foundthat the ground reaction is the opposite of that desired, as aconsequence of which when heavy debris is encountered by the broom theground reaction has been so decreased by the transmitted motor torque asto preclude clean sweeping.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The aforementioned limitations are overcome inaccordance with the present invention by the provision of a second motormount arm component serving to remove or minimize the motor torquereaction effect and thereby maximize the sweeping efficiency of thebroom.

This result is accomplished by the use of a parallel linkage suspensionemploying upper and lower arms pivoted to the pulling vehicle andinterconnected with a motor support arm or link which transmits themotor torque to the upper arm while opposite pull and broom imposedforces are taken by the lower arm.

As will appear, the motor may be positioned concentrically with thebroom axis at the juncture of the motor support with the lower arm or atan intermediate position between the arms, and the motor may beaccommodated within or at the outside of the broom core.

The invention will be more fully understood from the following detaileddescription of the accompanying drawings which are illustrative of theinvention in typical embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view showing in sideelevation a road sweeper vehicle carrying at the rear one form of pickupbroom suspen sion embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an isolated end elevation of the broom associated with theFIGS. 3 and 4 suspension;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary enlargement of the broom drive and suspensioncomponents within the broken line encircled 4 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating a variational form ofthe invention; and

FIG. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Except for the broom suspensiongenerally indicated at 10, the pulling vehicle may be a conventionalroad sweeper truck having forward and rear wheels 11 and 12, gutterbroom I3, and a frame structure 14 which carries a debris chamber orreceptacle 15. The frame structure may be regarded as including beyondthe pickup broom 16 a pair of depending arm mounting plates or members17. The broom is power driven in the direction of the arrow 18 todisplace swept debris forwardly of the vehicle for reception within thehousing 19 of conveyor 20 which elevates the sweepings for delivery intothe receptacle in a conventional manner.

In reference to FIGS. 2 to 4, the broom suspension includes upper andlower essentially parallel and equal length arms 21 and 22 pivoted at 23and 24 to supports 25 and 26 carried by the vehicle frame. The linkagearms 21 and 22 are pivotally connected at 27 and 28 to motor support arm29 so that the arm assembly constitutes and functions essentially as aparallel linkage. As illustrated in FIG. 3 the arms 21 and 29 may beprovided beyond one end only of the broom 16, although if desired forgreater stability the arm combination may be used at both ends of thebroom with a single-motor drive now to be described.

Broadly contemplated is mounting of the hydraulic broom drive motoreither at the outside of the broom and support 29 or within the tubularbroom core 30 as illustrated. Preferably the motor is accommodatedwithin the broom core in axial alignment with the broom with the head 31on the motor rotor shaft 32 connected to the broom core as at 33. Themotor stator component or housing 34 is fixed to the support arm 29 asby way of stub shaft 35 integral with plate 36 recessed at 37 to receivethe end of the broom core and joined at 38 to the motor housing 34. Asillustrated, the lower linkage arm 22 pivots at 39 on the stub shaft 35.By reason of the rigid association of the motor housing with support arm29 the latter resists and transmits to arm 21 the motor housing torquereaction which is opposite the direction of the broom rotation and thatof the motor shaft 32. Thus the motor torque influences on the sweepingaction of the broom are minimized or eliminated and proper groundreaction to the broom is maintained for sweeping of light or heavydebris.

Referring now to the variational form of the invention appearing in FIG.5, here the arms 40 and 41 are pivotally connected at 42 and 43 to amotor link support 44 to the outside of which is mounted the hydraulicmotor 45 having its shaft or rotor 46 suitably connected to a tubular orother broom core with the motor housing fixed to the mounting link. Ifdesired, the motor may be accommodated within the broom core as inaccordance with FIG. 3. Whether inside or outside the broom core themotor housing transmits its torque reaction by way of the support 44 toupper arm 40 to the same general effect and advantage as the previouslydescribed torque transmission by way of am 27 to link 21.

At its end opposite the motor drive the broom may be suspended byparallel arms 46 and 47 corresponding to arms 40, 41 and interconnectedby link 48, or the upper arm 40 and link extension 48a to it may beomitted, leaving the broom suspension to arm 47.

Iclaim:

l. A road sweeper vehicle pickup broom suspension and drive, comprisinga rotating cylindrical pickup broom positioned to be pulled by thevehicle in road surface contact with broom weight at all times fullyapplied to said surface, a hydraulic motor having a rotor for rotatingthe broom to displace debris forwardly of the vehicle and axiallyaligned with the broom, a motor housing support at one end of the broomand including a stub shaft and a support arm integral with said shaftand projecting radially therefrom, and spaced upper and lowersubstantially parallel arms pivotally connected to said support arm andsaid stub shaft at vertically spaced locations proximate a verticalplane containing the broom axis, and to the vehicle.

2. The combination of claim 1, including also conveyor means carried bythe vehicle forwardly of the broom and receiving its sweepings forelevation to a debris chamber.

3. The combination of claim 1, and a single-ann connecting the oppositeend of the broom to the vehicle.

4. The combination of claim 1, in which said support includes a verticalplate carrying said stub shaft at one side thereof, and annularlyrecessed to receive an end of a tubular core of said broom.

5. The combination of claim I, in which said motor is contained within atubular core of said broom.

6. The combination of claim I, in which said motor is mounted to theoutside of said support.

1. A road sweeper vehicle pickup broom suspension and drive, comprisinga rotating cylindrical pickup broom positioned to be pulled by thevehicle in road surface contact with broom weight at all times fullyapplied to said surface, a hydraulic motor having a rotor for rotatingthe broom to displace debris forwardly of the vehicle and axiallyaligned with the broom, a motor housing support at one end of the broomand including a stub shaft and a support arm integral with said shaftand projecting radially therefrom, and spaced upper and lowersubstantially parallel arms pivotally connected to said support arm andsaid stub shaft at vertically spaced locations proximate a verticalplane containing the broom axis, and to the vehicle.
 2. The combinationof claim 1, including also conveyor means carried by the vehicleforwardly of the broom and receiving its sweepings for elevation to adebris chamber.
 3. The combination of claim 1, and a single-armconnecting the opposite end of the broom to the vehicle.
 4. Thecombination of claim 1, in which said support iNcludes a vertical platecarrying said stub shaft at one side thereof, and annularly recessed toreceive an end of a tubular core of said broom.
 5. The combination ofclaim 1, in which said motor is contained within a tubular core of saidbroom.
 6. The combination of claim 1, in which said motor is mounted tothe outside of said support.